The Blood Red Flag of Peace
by Dr-Lovekill
Summary: When Tak,now an Irken military officer,finds out her mission was a lie,will she overthrow the only government she's ever served to set things right?OK,Horrible summary.Please read and review.M for language and violence.Plot may offend some.Be forewarned.
1. Chapter 1: A Necessary Evil

The Blood Red Flag of Peace

An Invader Zim Fanfiction

By: DrLovekill

Rated M for strong language and severe battlefield violence

_Someone once said "the cost of peace is war". Is either really necessary? Tak is now a lieutennant serving in the Irken war, loyal to her commanders, and the cause. But will her view change when she begins to question the validity of the war? There is an underlying plot here. Will you be able to see it? I think you will. I do not own any Invader Zim characters, except for a few original characters in this fic. I have based a few locations in this story on real places, and there is a real world allusion. If you are good enough to figure it out, kudos. Flame me if you want, love me if you agree. Read on._

Chapter 1: A Necessary Evil

_"...you got the two biggest boys on the block_

_they're gonna fight sometime. Or maybe, _

_somebody just forgot what it was like."_

_-From Red Dawn_

Plasma blasts exploded overhead, lighting the dark battlefield with a ghostly pale blue light. The thump of the plasma cannons from both sides of the field filled the air, shaking the ground with each round fired. Intermittent red rays from the new Irken type 4 heavy laser rifle, and yellow blasts from the personal assault weapons, and the ememy's rifles arced back and forth across the pitted and smoldering field. A plasma blast detonated over an Irken entrenchment, causing dirt to rain into the large ditch.

Tak cringed at the blast, squeezing her large purple eyes shut. She tried to shake at least some of the dirt off of her purple uniform. Turning, she inspected her unit, to see if any of the soldiers were wounded. A few cowered against the damp dirt walls, the rest crouched nervously. Another blast exploded nearby, and Tak resisted the urge to duck. She had to set an example for her unit.

"Private Bork," She yelled over the roar of battle. "Anything from HQ?"

"Nothing new, ma'am." The radio operator replied dutifully. "They still want us to move in in 0-5 minutes."

"Suicide." Tak muttered. "Tell them to concentrate fire on their center! We're the forward assault team, and unless we get their defenses weakened, we won't get halfway accross!"

"Yes ma'am! 0-5-9er, HQ, forward A-T commander requests fire on enemy's center. Over."

"Lieutennant," Corporal Snoog said, approaching in a stooping walk. "What are we doing, ma'am? The Tylaquians are too concentrated. We can't assault from this..." A close explosion made them both flinch for a moment. "...from this position. We'll be cut to pieces." Tak looked at him sternly.

"We're doing our jobs, private." Tak replied. "They'll weaken the Tylaquian defenses, and we'll take this city. That is our orders. To take Mazbad or die trying."

"Those orders are gonna get us all killed, ma'am!" Private Snoog argued. Tak grabbed him by the shirt, and slammed him against the dirt wall.

"Listen, private," She growled. "We don't question the orders. You question the orders, you question the Tallest. You question the Tallest, and it's treason. Patriotic order 471 says so! So we do our job, and we do another job, and another, and eventually, we go home with nice shiny medals pinned to our fucking shirts. Got it?"

"Y...yes ma'am."

"Okay, unit! Form up! Sgt. Skoodge, red team on right flank. Sgt. Aert, blue on left. We move in 2-0 minutes." The unit assembled. The Irken soldiers checked and double-checked their weapons. Tak paced up and down the trench, making sure all of the soldiers were ready. Her heart pounded in her chest. Fear that others would run screaming from, Tak now used to keep the adrenaline pumping through her. Battle was intense. She'd seen enough of it to know that. It was stressful as hell, but it also sharpened you, kept you alert. It was better than the stimulants she sometimes had to take to stay functional for days on end. She looked at her watch. It was time.

"Alpha Team!" She shouted, drawing her laser pistol from it's holster. "MOVE! MOVE! MOVE!" She lept from the trench with all of the strength and grace she trained so hard to keep. Her unit followed as she began running accross the scorched field. Glancing back, she saw the other units mobilized, the entire regiment making a V shape, with hers at the tip of the spear. Immediately, laser blasts filled the air around her team.

"Goddamnit!" She screamed as the beams shot past. "They were supposed to weaken the center! The fucking CENTER! Doubletime! Move men, MOVE!" A scream filled the air, and Tak looked over her shoulder to see private Snoog fall, hit fatally in the chest. Another soldier's head snapped back as a round caught him between the eyes. He fell to the ground, dead. "Shit!" Tak exclaimed. "They've got snipers!" A plasma blast whined through the air, taking out the entire unit to the left of Tak's in a horrendous explosion. Tak's unit was thrown to the ground.

"L.T.! Sgt. Aert yelled, crawling up. "It's no good, ma'am! Their fire is concentrated right on us!."

"Damn it!" Tak screamed, standing. "We're taking this city! Come on!" Her unit charged forward into the fire. A hundred yards to go. Another soldier fell dead. 80. Then 60. The radio operator went down. "Fuck." Tak panted. Her lungs burned from the running, and the smoke in the air. She ignored the pain, and kept running. "Sweep and clear!" She yelled as the unit entered the city. A Tylaquian soldier stood from behind a pile of rubble, wielding an outdated laser gun. Tak fired her pistol into the enemy soldier, and he went down firing wildly. A shot grazed Tak's shoulder. She instinctively ducked to the left. A shadowy form stood in a second floor window.

"Sniper!" Tak screamed. Sgt. Skoodge turned and fired his rifle. The dead Tylaquian fell from the window onto the street. The team moved tactically up the street, looking for more enemy positions. Tak hated urban combat. The enemy could be everywhere. Or nowhere. Either way, you wouldn't know it. Suddenly, a spherical metallic object rolled out of an opened door on one of the buildings. It stopped two feet from Tak.

"L.T. Grenade!" Sgt. Aert yelled, and before anyone could move, he lept face-down on top of the device. There was a muffled explosion, and Tak felt a warm liquid spatter her face. Three Tylaquians emerged from the building, but Tak's men fell to their knees and sprayed laser fire into the soldiers. At that moment, an Irken unit jogged up from the rear. The Lieutennant gave a salute to Tak, who returned it feebly.

"Lieutennant Tak," He said militantly. "We've been given orders to relieve you." Tak merely stared at the officer. "Are you okay, ma'am?"

"Yes." She said, sounding detached. "I'm fine. Thank you."

"We've done it." The lieutennant said proudly. "We've taken the city."

"Thank you." Tak repeated.

"The Tallest want to congratulate you in person for leading this assault. Your shuttle is standing by." Tak looked down at the destroyed body of Sgt. Aert. She slowly rubbed a black-gloved hand down the left side of her face, and looked at the crimson liquid that now coated her fingers.

"Make sure he gets back to Irk." Tak said sadly. She turned and walked away.

_Got it, yet? What do my fans and new readers out there in cyberspace think thus far? I wanted to paint war realistically, and tried my bleedin' hardest to figure out what Tak would say and do. Hope it wasn't too OOC. Reviews, please._


	2. Chapter 2: The Way Things Are

CHAPTER 2: The Way Things Are

_"That government is best which governs the least"_

_ -Thomas Jefferson_

_"That government is best which governs not at all."_

_ -Henry David Thoreau_

Tak stood in the shower of her private room aboard the Massive. She silently watched the red-tinged water pour off of her slim, green body onto the white floor of the shower, then gently swirl down the drain, into oblivion. She sighed, and ran her hands across her face, across her two black, velvety antennae. She closed her eyes, and arced her head back, letting the comfortably hot water rain directly onto her face.

Tak didn't know why, but she kept thinking about how Sgt. Aert had saved her life. Every time she closed her eyes, an image of his mangled body popped up like a photograph from hell. That grenade was meant for her. She sighed again. It's war, she thought. That's just the way things are. She reached down to the left knob, and turned it completely off, letting the water turn cold. She stood there for a moment, her palms against the wall, as the chilling water pelted her flesh. She then turned off the shower, and stepped out onto the cold, tiled floor, wrapping a purple towel around her atheletic body.

The Almightly Tallest stood impatiently in the meeting room they hardly ever used. The long metalic table and chairs still had their original shine, to the point where they reflected the dull blue wall paint that Purple hated so much.

"Ahh," Red goaned, tapping his foot. "She's late. Hardly the proper behavior of a poster girl for the Irken army."

"Yeah," Purple agreed. "I wanna' hurry up and get this over with. I'm supposed to go hunting slor beasts this evening."

"Again? Didn't you accidentally shoot your hunting partner last time?"

"I thought he was...ugh, nevermind."

The door to the room was opened by a soldier positioned outside in the hall. Tak entered, her back straight, eyes forward. She stopped a yard short of the Tallest and saluted.

"My Tallest." She said dutifully. "I apologize for my tardiness, sirs."

"Yes, well, Tak. Um, at ease, I guess." Red said. Tak assumed a wide-legged stance with her hands clasped behind her. "We want to thank you for leading what will definately go down in history as one of the most successful campaigns in Irken military history. Your actions are what should be expected from every soldier who fights under our flag, and we're honored to have such a brave and loyal officer in our Army."

"Thank you, sirs." Tak said soldierly.

"How long did it take you to memorize that?" Purple whispered to Red

"About an hour." Red whispered.

"Sirs, if I may," Tak said. "What about Sgt. Aert?"

"Who?" Red asked. Tak felt a surge of anger, but suppressed it.

"Sgt Aert, sirs. The brave soldier who gave his life for mine. He deserves to be honored more than I do."

"Yes, well." Red replied. "Many brave soldiers were lost in this battle."

"All brave and selfless." Purple interjected.

"But it's soldiers like you who contributed to our conquest, soldiers who fought through such..."

"Hardship and danger." Purple said.

"Yes, hardship and danger, and never gave up, and completed the task before them, it's them that we honor this way. Sgt. Art will always be remembered for his sacrifice, but you will be among the heroes." Tak felt herself turning red. How dare they say that? Sgt. Aert was a soldier, Goddamnit, and the best one Tak had ever known. And they couldn't even get his name right. She narrowed her eyes.

"Well, sirs, what of the cache of weapons the Tylaqui army had?"

"Cache...of weapons?" Red said, confused.

"Yeah, you know the cache of dangerous weapons you announced that the Tylaquians had hidden in the city? The whole reason we invaded them? You found them, right?" Red grinned nervously, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Well, it's still too early to tell, but they probably do have them...somewhere."

"There is no cache of weapons, is there?" Tak said lowly.

"What exactly are you implying, soldier?" Red growled. Tak cleared her throat.

"N...nothing, sirs. Thank you for this honor. I am proud to serve in the Irken army." She let the words out, but they tasted awful on her tongue, and their meaning was now lost to her.

Tak closed the door to her room and set the lock. She pulled off the light purple shirt of her dress uniform, and tossed it onto a white chair made of some synthetic material. That's exactly how she felt now, synthetic. She looked it the mirror. Some said she was very beautiful, Large purple eyes, long, curly antennae, a birthmark just under her left eye. She stared into the mirror, feeling less than beautiful at this moment.

"Is it all for nothing?" She asked her reflection. "Is it all a lie?" She'd trained to be a soldier from the time she was a smeet. Aside from a failed endeavor against a personal enemy once, she'd always won the day. She'd always been the perfect soldier. A life devoted to the Irken army, and it was starting to feel like a fucking puppet show. Thinking was dangerous. Tak kicked off her black knee-boots and fell onto the plush bed, enjoying the soft, silky texture of the sheet against her bare skin. So what if she was a soldier, she needed to feel feminine now and again, too. She rolled onto her side, grabbed one of the overstuffed pillows, and held it tightly against her body. She closed her eyes, and was soon asleep.

Sgt. Aert stood, looking at Tak, a pleading look in his round, red eyes. Tak looked down, and gasped in horror. Blood and organs oozed from a gaping hole in his chest. He held out his hand, mouthing something that Tak couldn't hear. She reached out for him, but a sound behind her arrested her attention. She turned to see Red, dressed in a Tyraqui uniform, pointing a laser rifle at her. She tried to move, but her feet felt like lead. Then he fired.

Tak awoke, gasping for breath. She sat up in bed, and looked around the room. Her heart pounded in her ears, and she was covered in sweat.

"Fuck." She whispered, and fell back onto the sheet, putting a hand to her forehead. Damn nightmare. "I'm loosing it." She said to herself. She slid out of bed, and walked to the small kitchen area. Tak pulled a plastic glass from the stack beside the sink, and filled it with cold water. She downed half of it in one drink, and strode over to the mirror.

"Pull yourself together soldier." Tak said. "This is the way things are." She took another drink, and scoffed. "But do they have to be?"

_I personally loved doing the shower scene and the bed scene. Not because I'm a bloody great twisted pervert with noctournal fantasies about Tak, but because It's a great test of literary prowess for a guy to attempt to do such "girly-girl" scenes, and do them justice, without making them too overly sexual or even masculine in nature. What did you think? Tak's beginning to question her motivation at this point, eaten away with a guilt she has yet to understand. Reviews. Gimme!_


	3. Chapter 3: The Definition of Duty

CHAPTER 3: The Definition of Duty

_"Sometimes doing the right thing isn't doing_

_ the right thing."_

_-From SWAT_

_"The army wants soldiers, not robots."_

_-From Inside Delta Force_

_ By Eric Haney_

Tak awoke to a knocking at her door. She swore quetly, and got out of bed, feeling the plush carpet against her bare feet. She threw on a dark purple silken night shirt, and hastily buttoning it, walked to the door. She disengaged the lock, and slid open the door. A soldier stood at attention.

"What, private?" Tak asked, half groggily, half annoyed.

"Lieutennant Tak, ma'am," The private in the meticulously pressed uniform said. "The Tallest request your presence on command deck immediately." Tak looked the young soldier over. His uniform was spotless, orderly, his boots shined to a mirror finish. The material of his holster was not even worn in the least. Fucking parade ground soldiers, Tak thought. He's probably never had to fire that gun.

"Did they say why?"

"Yes, ma'am. They said they have new orders that they feel you could carry out effectively. They wish to brief you." Tak looked at the private. He was adsent-mindedly eyeing her body. She realized that she was still only wearing a thin silk night shirt, and fought a smile.

"You have a girlfriend, private?" Tak asked.

"N...no ma'am." The private answered, blushing slightly.

"Get one." Tak said, closing the door. She hurredly donned her dress uniform, staightening the wrinkles manually. She pulled on her boots, fastening all four buckles on each, then put on her shined black dress belt. She looked at the small box of medals on the table, then down at her shirt. "Fuck it." She whispered, and left the room.

"My Tallest." Tak said, coming to salute before her leaders on the control deck, "You sent for me."

"Yes, lieutennant." Red said, a smug grin on his face. "We have a mission in need of an officer of your caliber."

"Yes, sirs?" Tak asked. Red sighed, and placed his arms behind his back. He turned away, staring out a large window into space.

"Define...duty, lieutennant." Tak's eyes moved around the room, nervously. "Well?"

"I like to think duty is carrying out orders dspite personal feelings, serving your government with honor and courage, and uphoding the honor and integrity of its leaders and citizens."

"Good, good," Red replied, turning back to Tak. "Then we can all be frank here."

"Frank, sirs?"

"There were no weapons hidden in Mazbad." Purple said. "There never were." Tak breathed a sigh of anger.

"But," Red said, "We had to have a cause to invade. You see, the Tylaquians have been warring with their neighbors for centuries. They want to expand their territory using violence, terrorism, attrition. They ignore the very values we hold dear. A race like that just needs to be eliminated."

"So you gave false information about them having the weapons cache." Tak said, now fully understanding her part in the facade she had helped to lead.

"Yes, you have to understand, it was in the best intrests of all Irkens that Tylaquia be invaded. But there is a problem, and all problems have solutions. We need you to lead a mission in Mazbad."

"A mission to what, sirs? The city is already taken."

"We need you to find the cache of weapons, and destroy it."

"But I thought there was no cache of weapons, sirs. You said..."

"I know what I said, lieutennant." Red snapped. "But we want you to go in and _find _the cache of weapons, _destroy _it fully, and report back." Tak stood, a lump in her throat, and fear in her eyes. It was a damn coverup mission. A bloc ops mission to shovel a lie on top of another lie.

"Duty, lieutennant." Purple said, "Remember? Uphold the honor and integrity of your leaders, carry out your orders reguardless of how you feel? Your words."

"Well?" Red said impatiently. "Will you take the mission, lieutennant?"

"Y...yes." Tak stammered, managing a shaky salute. "Yes...sirs."

"Assemble your unit. You leave in two days. Dismissed." Red said, turning away.

"FUCK!" Tak screamed in her room. She threw a glass accross the room, breaking it against the wall. She violently stripped off her uniform shirt as if it burned her, throwing it onto the floor. She angrily slid her hand accross the table, knocking her box of medals to the carpet. She then turned, catching her reflection in the mirror.

"Damn you." She said to her reflection. "Damn you, you whore!" Tak fell to her knees, burying her head in her hands, sobbing like she hadn't done in years. She felt weak, useless, used. To Tak, this was rape of the worst kind. It was a bloody puppet show of death, and she was the star marionette. She weakly crawled into the bed, shaking with dispair and anger.

"Duty." She said sardonically. "Duty, duty, what fucking duty? I'm no soldier, I'm a bloody shit-shoveling yes-girl. Duty. Duty to what? Uphold lies, protect the greed and arrogance of a couple of...FUCK!" She yelled, throwing a pillow off of the bed angrily. Tak leaned over the edge of the bed and pulled the pistol from the holster on her belt. Rolling onto her back, she pushed the muzzle of the weapon against her temple. Her hand began shaking. She lowered the weapon, and dropped it onto the floor.

"Too easy." She muttered, and stepped off the bed. She walked to the mirror. Damn that mirror. Tak stared at her reflection for some time. She cocked her head to one side as she stared into her own eyes. She remembered what an old soldier had told her when she was just a smeet.

"Remember," He had said. "A soldier's allegiance lies in upholding his people. His flag. A soldier's duty is to the nation, not it's leaders. Leaders make mistakes. Leaders die. Irk's values are forever."

Tak smiled and inhaled deeply. She knew what she had to do. She was an Irken soldier, and she had to carry out her duty.

_Powerful, huh? Need I even say anything? Please, tell me what you thought. An artist is nothing without critics._


	4. Chapter 4: The Winds of Revolution

CHAPTER 4: The Winds of Revolution

_"Oh Rome, equal to the highest diety, favor my plans._

_ Not with impious weapons do I pursue you, but here_

_ am i...coquerer of land and sea, your own soldier_

_ everywhere, now here too, if you permit. The man_

_ who makes me your enemy, it is HE that shall be_

_ the guilty one...Here I abandoned peace and _

_ dessecrated law. Fortune, it is you I follow. Farewell_

_to treaties. From heceforth War will be our judge."_

_-Julius Caesar_

_upon his march on Rome during_

_the Roman Civil War _

Tak stood at the mirror, pulling makeup from a small bag. she sat all of the desired contents onto the counter in a neat row, dumping the rest into the trashcan next to the wall. She opened an eyeliner pen.

"Sometimes, in the event of an emergency, the Army of Irk must cast aside the normal rules of war," Tak said, quoting part of the Irken soldier's creed as she rimmed her left eye with heavy black eyeliner. "And personally take reposibility for the welfare of Irk's citizens." She lined the other eye in black, the dropped the eyeliner onto the counter, and picked up a tube of dark purple lipstick.

"If an Irken must do battle with another Irken," She said, then applied the lipstick. "Then it must be out of necessity, to protect the balance of law and order, peace and freedom. Not out of retribution." Tak turned, and walked to the bed. She sat, and began pulling on her Irken issue boots over a pair of black tights. She dug through her bag, finding her long-sleeved purple and black striped shirt. It hung to the knees, with slits up both sides. Over this, she strapped her duty belt and holster. She picked up her pistol from the spot it still lay on the floor, spun it forward and backward several times, then holstered it in one smooth motion. She smiled at her reflection in the mirror, and as an afterthought, popped the dog tags from around her neck, dropping them into the trash. She picked up a phone-like device on the table.

Operator," She said gravely. "Get me 5479-S please."

"Just one moment." The operator replied. There was a series of rhythmical beeps, followed by a voice.

"Hello?"

"Skoodge?" Tak asked.

"Lieutennant?" The sergeant. asked in reply.

"Sgt., we have a mission before us, and I don't blame you if you choose not to be a part of it. You can say no at any time."

"Ma'am, I've followed into battles for the past three years." Skoodge's voice said. "And you've led us through some pretty bad situations, ma'am. So what's the mission?"

"We have a renegade group of Irkens we have to eliminate."

"Sounds easy, ma'am. Who'se the target?" Tak paused for a second. No fucking way to sugarcoat it.

"The Tallest, and any high command who still follow them once they know the truth."

"The..Tall...you're insane!" Skoodge said. "What would possess you to want to do something like this? Ma'am, it's treason, it's murder, it's...it's..."

"There was no cache of weapons on Tylaquia." Tak interrupted. "They wanted us to invade because they wanted the planet. No other reason. Maybe they just wanted the fuel mines on Tylaqui, I don't fucking know. But alot of good soldiers died over nothing. A big fucking nothing." There was a silence on the line.

"Sgt.?" Tak asked. There was a sigh.

"I'm here, L.T."

"They wanted us to go in and fake finding the weapons."

"I...I can't believe the Tallest could, could do something like this."

"Didn't they once leave you for dead on planet Blorch?" Tak asked. There was another sigh.

"What do you want to do?"

"Assemble the unit. Find everyone in it that's willing to take part in this. You have six hours. I want you all here by 20-00 hours."

"My gods."

"Yeah, let's hope they're behind us on this one. Good luck, sergeant."

"You too, ma'am." Tak hung up the phone. She picked up her I.D. clip, and left the room.

"Tak walked down the hall in the security sector. Her I.D. gave her clearance to nearly all parts of the Massive, so she walked confidently through a door marked "Restricted". Two guards eyed her as she passed. She heard the younger one whisper 'Wow', but she ignored the remark.

Tak came to a door marked "Armory". She slid her I.D. card in the slot, and the lock beeped once, then disengaged. The door hissed open, and Tak stepped inside. Weapons sat on racks, hung on wall pegs, and were locked in cases all about the large room. Tak walked down the rows, taking a mental inventory of everything she needed: rifles, pistols, E.M.P. disruptor guns, grenade launchers. She committed to memory the location of everything in the room. Finishing her check, she left the room casually, and headed for the cantina aboard the large ship.

Tak sat at a small table in a dim corner of the cantina, drinking a mixed drink of shady ingredients and synthetic alcohol. She finished the drink in one gulp, and signalled to the waitress. A young female Irken with pink eyes walked over.

"Yes, miss?"

"Another, please." The waitress took the empty glass and turned to leave. "Wait, make it two." The waitress nodded in affirmation, and headed to the kitchen. Tak looked at her watch. 1700. Shit. A figure approached the table. Tak looked up to see the young private from before.

"Lieutennant Tak?" He said nervously. "I thought that was you."

"Yes. private?" Tak said, massaging the area between her eyes with her thumb and forefinger.

"Well, ma'am, I'm off for an few minutes more, mind if I sit?"

"It's a free galaxy." Tak said. "Well, at least to some degree." The young private chuckled and sat accross from Tak. He fidgeted his fingers nervously, and Tak could see he was sweating a little. "So, uh, private..."

"Hert, ma'am" Tak looked up now.

"Hert? Are you any relation to a Sgt. Aert?" Private Hert looked away for a moment. He

looked back, with a kind of sadness on his face.

"Sgt. Aert was...my father, ma'am."

"Your father?" Asked Tak, surprised."

"Yes, ma'am. One of the few Irkens who chose to have children naturally instead of using the cloning procedures. He's..." He paused, and rubbed his forehead. "He was a good soldier. He was killed during the occupation of Mazbad. Did you know him, ma'am?" Tak felt a sickness stirring in her stomach, and she fought back the tears that tried in vain to reach her eyes.

"I knew him. he was a good soldier. One of the best I've ever had the honor of commanding."

"He was in your unit?" Private Hert asked.

"Yes. He was."

"Did you see...I mean were you there when he..." Tak closed her eyes and bit her lip hard. She looked back at Private Hert., who looked on the verge of tears himself.

"I...I was. He uh, he saved my life. He was a brave Irken. Selfless. I'd be dead right now if it weren't for him. You should be proud of your father." She saw a tear roll down Hert's cheek.

"I am. I am, ma'am." Tak's drinks came. She guzzled one, then began sipping the other.

"Ma'am, I'm honored to be in your presence." Hert finally said. "And I'd be honored if we could go out sometime. Maybe for a meal." Tak smiled.

"You don't want to get involved with me." She said, grinning. "I'm nothing but trouble." Private Hert laughed lightly.

"Okay, ma'am. Anyway, I should get back to post. Duty calls, you know."

"Private," Tak said as Hert stood. "It's been my honor to meet _you_." Private Hert saluted. Tak returned the salute, and Hert turned and left. Tak finished her drink alone, then paid, and walked out.

_Did you appreciate my little homage to Thomas Jane's soliloquy in "The Punisher" at the beginning? How about the irony of meeting Sgt. Aert's son at the end? Can you smell the storm brewing on the horizon? The next chapter is the lightning strike and the downpour._


	5. Chapter 5: The Blood Red Flag of Peace

CHAPTER 5: The Blood Red Flag of Peace

_"If we are marked to die, then we're doomed_

_ to do our country loss. But if to live, the fewer _

_ men, the greater share of honor."_

_-William Shakespeare_

_"We're all gonna die! We'd might as well_

_ die standing up!"_

_ -From Red Dawn_

Ten Irken soldiers stood in Tak's room, all wearing their uniforms and stern faces. Skoodge sat on the bed, along with a blueprint of the Massive, as Tak explained everything in detail. The other soldiers listened in to the impromptu briefing, eager to learn their roles in the upcoming revolt.

"Corporal Seb," Tak said, looking at the only other female Irken in the room. "You take privates Rold and Reef down to the dentention block, dressed as wardens. On my mark, you overpower the wardens, and release any and all members of the Resisty being held on this ship.They are to change into guard uniforms. You will then have 0-2 minutes to reach the armory, located here." She pointed to the map. "At that moment, we enter the armory, and retrieve the weapons we need. I've been there, and I know what they've got. From there, we go as one unit down the hall, overcoming any resistance, to the comms room. Corporal Fronz, you will disable all comlinks and security surveilance with an E.M.P."

"Yes ma'am." Corporal Fronz stated.

"Then comes the hard part. We have to fight are way up to the control deck, find and assassinate the Tallest, and take command of the Massive. We then re-enable comms, and broadcast to all of Irk what we did, and why. Any questions?"

"Just the one, L.T.," Skoodge said. "What are our odds?"

"I won't lie to you, men." Tak replied, looking around the room. "Our odds of succeeding are slim, but they're still better than our odds of surviving. I've told you why we're here. If anyone wants out, now's the time." No one in the room stirred. Finally, Corporal Seb spoke.

"I think I speak for everyone here, ma'am, when I say that we trust you. You wouldn't get us killed over nothing."

"Yeah," Corporal Fronz said. "Only the big-and-talls would do that." Tak smiled. She'd personally trained each member of her unit. They were elite. They were the best. Tak had no doubt as to their abilities.

"Okay men," Tak said, tossing three warden uniforms to Seb, "Let's do our duty. Corporal Seb, you have five minutes. Do not fail, soldier." Seb and her team were already stripping, and putting on the uniforms.

"Anything else, ma'am?" Seb asked cockilly.

"Yeah, don't get dead. It doesn't look good on your commander." The three finished dressing, and quickly and quietly left the room. Tak turned to the others.

"The rest of you, on me. You know your jobs. Bloody well do them. We're fighting for Irk, here, so keep that in mind. Right, well let's go."

The team moved down the hall, attracting as little attention as possible. Tak repeatedly looked at her watch. They moved into a grotto in the wall, just down the hall from the armory. Her comlink beeped once.

"We're in position." Seb's voice whispered.

"On my mark." Tak replied, "0-2 minutes. And...mark-one. Go." She pressed a button on her watch, activating a stopwatch. The team sat nervously as Tak watched the time tick off. No sign of Seb's team yet. At two minutes and thirty seconds, The unit heard rushed footsteps approaching from down the corridor. Tak gripped her pistol tightly. She nearly laughed when Seb's team came around the corner, followed by six members of the Resisty. The newcomers crowded into the niche.

"What took so damn long?" Tak asked, irritated.

"Well, if you must know, ma'am," Seb replied. "There were more guards than we thought. And I wanted to stop for a soda." She added sarcastically.

"Okay, enough of that." Tak ordered. Let's move." The unit moved onto the armory, choosing and loading their weapons. Fully armed, they exited the armory, and jogged down the corridor until the came to a door marked "Coms Room: No Admittance". Tak blasted the lock, and threw open the door. Two Irkens sat at a console inside. They immediately stood at the intrusion. One was knocked unconcious with the butt of Rold's rifle. Skoodge grabbed the other from behind, slamming his head into the console repeatedly, until he lost conciousness.

Knowing their jobs perfectly, Corporal Fronz fired an electromagnetic pulse into the switchboard, which sparked violently, then sizzled out.

"Comms down, ma'am." Fronz stated.

"Command Deck." Tak ordered. The team ran down the hall in formation. A guard spotted them approaching.

"Hey!" He shouted, raising his rifle. Seb killed the guard with a three-round burst, never breaking stride. Another guard popped out of a door to the left. Fronz delivered a kick to the guard's face, another to his sternum, and an uppercut. The guard went down bleeding. A shot rang out from behind them. The team turned. Two guards had exited a room, and now fired at them. Private Reef went down, hit twice in the chest. The team returned fire, and the guards fell.

The team continued on. Staight ahead was the main elevator.

"What's going on?!" Red yelled on the command deck?

"I don't know, sir," An officer stated from his computer console. "We have shots fired, but the comms are down."

"What about the cameras?" Purple asked angrilly.

"Surveillance is out too, sir." Another officer replied.

"We could be under attack!" Red bellowed. "Who is it? The Resisty? Tylaquian terrorists? Who?!"

"We don't know, sirs," The first officer replied. "But someone is on board with us."

"Get Tak up here." Red ordered. "Send for Tak! We need more security up here!" At that moment, the elevator door slid open, and Tak's team fanned out through the control room.

"Tak!" Purple called. "There's terrorists on board!"

"I know." Tak stated. "Men, CONTAIN!" The soldiers raised their weapons, covering the entire room. The deck officers froze, putting their hands in the air.

"What do you thing you're doing?!" Red growled. "Put down those weapons! Stand down!"

"We represent Irk," Tak said, "Not it's corrupt leaders."

"This...this is TREASON!" Red yelled. "Do you know that? You're committing high treason! You'll all be excecuted for this!"

"This isn't treason." Tak said calmly. "It's patriotism." The deck officers looked around nervously. "Tell them." Tak said. "Tell them why we went to war with Tylaquia."

"You traitorous bitch." Purple said through clenched teeth.

"Tell them!" Tak ordered. A door slid open, and a contingent of soldiers entered, their weapons trained on Tak and her team. "Just in time." Tak said. "The Tallest were getting ready to explain why we've been fighting and dying so much lately. Weren't you? Speak!" Red sighed.

"It was...all a misunderstanding." He said diplomatically.

"What was?" Tak asked. "How you falsified information about the Tylaquians possessing weapons of mass destruction? About how you were gonna send us in to make up a phoney story about their nonexistant weapons cache? How you wanted to invade Tylaquia for personal reasons? Come on, what was the real reason again?" Red grumbled something under his breath.

"What was that?"

"We wanted the fuel mines on Tylaquia, alright? You happy? They wouldn't negotiate with us over possession of the mines, so we ordered an invasion." The loyalist soldiers relaxed their weapons a bit, and began glancing at each other.

"And why did you want the mines? And don't you lie to me, you sneaky bastard."

"Purple and I stand to make a great deal of money from the mining of the fuel. We have what you might call a vested intrest in the sell of fuel." Some of the soldiers lowered their weapons.

"You see?" Tak announced to the entire control room. "We've all been deceived, lied to. Sent to our deaths by these two. Over nothing. We must remain patriotic. We must do away with those who would besmirch the values of Irk. We have to do our duty and protect all of Irk from all enemies, even those within the system. Who agrees?" A few of the soldiers nodded approval, and moved slowly toward Tak's team, now aiming their weapons at the Tallest.

"You forgot something, lieutennant." Red said smugly. "We're still in charge of the army. Men, FIRE! FIRE!" The room errupted in battle. Laser shots filled the air, as soldiers and deck officers alike were cut down. Two of the resisty were killed. With a groan, private Rold fell to the deck dead. Fronz lept onto a computer table, firing his pistol into one soldier, then another. A round caught him in the stomach, and another in the shoulder. He fell to the floor.

One of the soldiers that had recently joined Tak's cause attempted to wrestle a rifle from the hands of a seargant. A shot pierced them both, and they toppled to the deck together. Purple crouched behind a terminal, firing a small laser pistol into the fray. Tak took careful aim. He rose slightly, and she fired. Purple stood screaming, a wound in his shoulder. Tak fired again. Purple fell dead.

"One down." Tak muttered. She felt the cold of a gun barrel press against the back of her head.

"One to go." Red's voice growled. Tak closed her eyes, ready for the shot. "Goodbye, lieutennant." There was a blast. Tack slowly opened her eyes. She was alive! But how? She turned to see Red gripping a wound in his side. He was staring at a nearby figure. It was private Hert, who stood with a rifle, still aimed at Red.

"That's for my father." He said coldly. Red raised his pistol. Hert and Red fired simultanously, both dropping to the floor. The fighting stopped. The loyalists, now leaderless, slowly dropped their guns, and raised their hands into the air. As the smoke cleared, bodies lay strewn accross the floor. Only six stood on Tak's side. Only ten loyalists remained. The fighting was over, but it was a blood red flag of peace.

_Now do you understand the meaning of the phrase "blood red flag of peace"? What did you think of the epic battle four chapters in the making? Wasn't it a letdown? That's because in this story, the action is meant to be downplayed by the emotions of Tak, and the impact the action really has on her. The action scenes in this story have been catalysts for Tak's reversal of ideals and motivation. Okay, enough of my drama lessons. What did you think, all in all?_


	6. Chapter 6: The Last Full Measure

CHAPTER 6: The Last Full Measure

_"It is for us the living, to be commited to the great_

_ task remaining before us. That we here highly resolve_

_ that these dead shall not have died in vain. That this _

_ nation shall have a new birth of freedom. And that_

_ government, of the people, by the people, and for the_

_ people, shall not perish from the earth."_

_-Abraham Lincoln_

"Private," Tak said, kneeling over the fallen soldier, gently stroking the side of his face. "Private Hert." He slowly opened his eyes. Recognizing Tak, he managed a weak smile.

"Lieutennant." He whispered hoarsely. "Is it...done?"

"It's over soldier." Tak whispered sadly. "We've won."

"Good." Hert said, and coughed, blood staining his lips. He looked at Tak, and narrowed his eyes in thought. He weakly raised a hand, placing it on her shoulder. "You're...you're al...alive, ma'am." A tear ran down Tak's face. "My father didn't...die for...for nothing." He inhaled shallowly, and his arm fell from Tak's arm. "It's been an...honor...ma'am." He closed his eyes, and his body went limp.

"No," Tak whispered. "The honor was mine." She stood, and looked out over the control room. The floor ran red with blood. Moans from the wounded filled the air now. All stood in a group, looking at Tak.

"Sgt," She said sadly, "Have the men tend to the wounded. We're all brothers again."

"Yes ma'am." Replied Skoodge. "Anything else?" Tak looked around at the fallen.

"Yes. I want their names. All of them. No one is to be forgotten for what they did here today. Then call Irken high command. Tell them everything."

"Yes ma'am." Tak walked over to the tall window looking out into space. She placed her hand against the glass. Tears welled up in her eyes, tears she could no longer fight. They ran down her cheeks, dripping onto the blood-stained floor. War? Peace? None of it seemed to matter anymore. Either way, people had to kill. People had to die. Good people. She sobbed lightly.

Tak's team stood in silence, looking at their commander as she wept. Tak turned to see her team watching her. She wiped her eyes on her sleeve. She walked to a swiveling chair, and sat, turning her back to the room. Burying her head in her hands, she began to cry quietly.

"I've...never seen L.T. cry before." Seb whispered. "Not through all the shit and blood. She's killed hundreds of enemy soldiers, never shedding a tear. Why?"

"Battle is battle," Skoodge whispered. "But I know that _this _was different. She's killed her fellow Irkens. She's killed her leaders. Maybe, she even killed a little of herself. Maybe we all kind of did." Seb nodded her head lightly.

Tak stood, and inhaled deeply. She regained her soldierly poise, and turned to the soldiers that now tended the wounded laying about the room.

"Comms back on line?" She asked coldly. Skoodge typed on a computer keyboard for a minute.

"Online, ma'am."

"Patch the senate through on the main screen." Skoodge typed in a command. The large

viewing screen flashed on, and switched to an image of the irken senate. The six senators sat at a

long table, facing the screen. "Here goes nothing." She muttered. "My senators, it is my duty to inform you that the Tallest are dead."

"Dead?" One senator asked. "How? Who are you?" Tak fought the apprehension building inside her.

"They were guilty of treason. As you know all too well, my senators, the Tallest have been failing to uphold the safety and liberty of the Irken race. They have lied incessantly, and taken almost all power away from the people and the senate. They have declared unneccesary wars, and profited from the deaths of thousands of Irken soldiers." The senators listened attentively, but Tak could see that the six were looking at her curiously.

"You've assassinated them." A senator remarked. "You've instrumented an act of sedition?" Tak sighed.

"Yes, my senators. I am lieutennant Tak of Irken special operations. I am a soldier of the Irken empire, and I did what was neccessary to pretect the welfare of the people of Irk. I did what I had to to save the lives and liberties of my people. Now, I stand before you, prepared to accept the consequences of my actions, as long as they are carried out by all due process. But I do not regret my decisions."

The senators spoke amongst themselves. Tak couldn't shake the nervous feeling that she was being tried and judged. Her hands trembled, and her knees felt weak.

"Tak," One of the senators finally said. "We have long been aware of the corruption in Irken high command, and the hedonistic greed of the Tallest, though we were powerless to do anything about it. With the Tallest dead, it falls to us, the senate, to carry out justice and dispense punishment. Though your actions were just, you have commited high treason."

"Yes, sirs." Tak said dutifully.

"We are sorry, lieutennant." Another senator said sypathetically. "We must follow the law, lest we become corrupt as well. But we are willing to grant you one request. It is the least we can do."

"I do not regret that my actions have condemned me to death." Tak said. "But all I ask," She looked back at her team, who stood gravely at hearing the senators' ruling. "is that my men not be tried for treason. They were following my orders. They must be returned to active duty, or allowed to retire, depending upon their choices." The senators nodded approvingly.

"You are a good soldier, lieutennant." One said. "And your request has been granted." Tak turned to her team, who looked upon her sadly.

"Men," Tak said, "You have done your duty better than anyone could have asked you to. You are the saviors of our people. Never forget that. I go to my death knowing that I have given my last full measure of devotion for my people. That is the mark of a true soldier. To die for what is just and right, if it means there's only a small hope that your blood can set others free. Men, it has been my greatest honor to command you all. You are dismissed." Tak's team, along with the remaining Irken soldiers all stood at attention, and saluted Tak. Tak looked back to the screen to see the senators standing, saluting her as well. Tears filled Tak's eyes, as she returned the salute to the senators, then to her men.

Tak knelt on the mat in front of the deactivation unit, her hands cuffed behind her back. She looked slightly to her left to see the six senators sitting morosely at a table in the room. The executioner approached, his heavy boots sounding like the pounding footsteps of death to Tak. In a way, they were, she thought. The executioner knelt beside Tak.

"Are you ready?" He asked gravely. Tak's lip quivered. She bit it to make it stop.

"Just...just do it." She whispered, her eyes squeezed shut." The executioner nodded sadly. He stood, and pulled a cable down from the ceiling. He plugged it in to Tak's PAK, and walked to a console. He pressed a button, and the screen read "full power drain?" He pressed "yes", and a new screen popped up, reading "press enter to initiate".

"STOP!" A voice called. The executioner turned to see Tallest Larb, the newly appointed leader of Irk enter the room. The senators stood in respect, as Tallest Larb stood before them.

"You cannot execute this soldier," He said, matter-of-factly. "I have no desire to see a hero of Irk murdered for saving her people."

"My Tallest," A senator replied. "You know as well as we that she cannot go unpunished for her crimes." Larb looked at Tak, then back to the senators.

"That's why I have decided to issue a new punishment for her. One that doesn't involve being deactivated." The senators all voiced words of agreement. "She shall be sent, forthwith from the Irken empire, never to return, under penalty of death. Tak's heart dropped. Death was bad enough, but banishment? She'd rather be dead. "She shall," Larb continued, "Be sent to the Sol system with a contingent of troops, a battle fleet, and one hundred volunteer Irken citizens, where she will conquer the planet Earth," He turned to Tak "Which if I'm not mistaken, is the home of your old enemy?" He turned back to the senators. "She is to set up a government of her own design, colonize the planet, and rule to the end of her days as General Tak, overlord and queen of the planet Earth, answering only to herself."

Tak's eyes widened. She wanted to scream in happiness, but no words could escape her mouth. She lept to her feet as the executioner removed the plug, and uncuffed her. She ran to Tallest Larb, and without thinking, embraced him in a joyful hug.

"Thank you! Thank you!" Tak cried, tears streaming down her cheeks. The senators smiled, and so did Larb. Tak released Larb, and blushing at her emotional outburst, stood at attention, and cleared her throat. "Thank you, my Tallest." She said, saluting. "I am honored to accept this final mission."

"No," Larb said, "You don't have to salute me. In fact, all of Irk shall remember you and honor your name for all time." He knelt on one knee. "And I am honored to be in your presence."

Tak smiled a sad smile. This is the way things are now, she thought. Things had changed so much. They always do. She wondered what the future would hold for herself, and for the Irken race. She sighed. Thinking was dangerous. She had a mission to do, and she would do it.

_There it is. Aren't I a naughty little astrobiologist? I look forward to hearing everyone's input on this story. And to those who fully understood the nature of it, and want to flame my bollocks off, all I have to say is "God save the Queen!"_ 'Till next time, cheerio.


End file.
